This year marks the 60th Anniversary of the death of Dorothy L. Sayers.
There have been a number of events in 2017. Below is a summary:
February: Visit by members to the Royal Opera House, Thurrock, Essex
March: The Dorothy L. Sayers Annual Lecture, part of the Essex Book Festival given by James Runcie, creator of the Grantchester detective novels and son of our former patron, the late Lord Runcie.
May: The launch, at Hatchards, Piccadilly, of Taking Detective Stories Seriously, an edited collection of reviews written by Dorothy L. Sayers for The Times. Author Martin Edwards, who is also Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, edited the collection, introducing it with an essay on the work of Dorothy L. Sayers as critic during this period. The book can be bought online or from the Society. Please contact the Society for further information.
June: In honour of DLS’s birthday (13th June), ‘Dorothy Day’ was held on Saturday, 10th June, in Witham, where Dorothy lived for many years. A concert was held, after which there was lunch and a showing of a film interview on the saving of Dorothy L. Sayers’ house from demolition, followed by tea.
July: presentation of the Norah Lambourne Design Award, in conjunction with the Royal Opera House to one of the stage apprentices at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
August: Our annual Convention for members will take place at the Colchester Campus of the University of Essex between 11th and 14th August.
September: Our annual bell ringing award to a nominee from the Ladies Guild of Change Ringers will be presented at Thornham Magna in the area of Diss on 15th September.
St Mary’s Church, Bluntisham-cum-Earith, where Dorothy’s father was Rector and where Dorothy grew up, is holding a Community Arts Festival on the theme of ‘Spirit of Sayers’ on the weekend of 16th and 17th September. For further information, please see: www.meridianbenefice.org.uk
October: The AGM of the Society will be held on Saturday 28 October at 2 pm at St Anne’s, Soho.
December: There will be a service to mark 60 years since the death of Dorothy L Sayers. This will be held at St. Anne’s, Soho
Further news can be found in the Society Bulletin, available to members.
Taking Detective Stories Seriously 2017